Lubrication of piston engines



1949 w. J. VAN HEECKEREN ETAL 8, I

LUBRICATION OF PISTON ENGINES Filed Sept. 14, 1945 W/LLE/f rA/V'z/AN #5505525 HUGO Hz/Bmms NETUV/f/z NEYEZ? HEP/9E Bl/V/A JNVENTORS Patented Nov. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES OF FI'CE,

2,488,354 LUB IQATION or PIsroN E IN S Willem .l'anvan Heeckeren, Hugo Hubert'us; Mettivier Meyer; and" Herre' Rin-ia, Eindhoven; Netherlands, assignors to Hartford National Bank & 'llrustco Hartford", Conn, as trustee Application September 14, 1945, SerialNmfilGAZfi In Belgium May'l, I945 acnims. (01. 184-18) In piston apparatus having double acting pistons lubrication of the piston rod in the leadthrough of this rod-through the bottom cylinder cover is desirable. In practice it has-been found that in the usual constructions, in the case of a generous lubrication, i. e; splash lubrication, oil steadily enters thecylinder chamber; Accordingly excess oil can find its way into the cylinder chamber, which is undesirable, since various difiiculties may result.

An object of this invention is to provide a means whereby the piston rod. of a vertical cylinder'type engine will be lubricated in a positive and efiicient manner, and without the disadvantages common to lubricating means for such pistons as pointed out above.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means whereby the walls of a vertical cylinder type engine will be efiectively lubricated without an excess of lubricating oil being admitted to the cylinder chamber.

These and further objects of the invention will become apparent as the specification progresses.

In order to realize these objects, the method of the invention briefly consists of the provision of a first annular groove on the inside of the lower cylinder head, this groove arranged concentric with and opening upon the aperture for the piston rod and containing a given quantity of lubricating fluid to lubricate the piston rod as the piston to which it is attached moves within the cylinder. One or more ducts connect the groove with a second annular groove which is located on the inside of a lower cylinder head concentric With and at the edge of the inner cylinder wall, the ducts serving as a passageway for lubricant from the first annular groove to the second annular groove. A projecting member which is arranged to bear against the cylinder wall is attached to the lower surface of the piston and is further arranged to dip into the second annular groove at one extreme of piston travel and thus distribute lubricant upon the cylinder wall as the piston moves upward in the cylinder.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect it will now be set out more fully in reference to the accompanying drawing in which a form of construction is illustrated by way of example.

Fig. 1 represents a double acting piston in part of a cylinder, partly in elevation, partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a section of the cylinder with piston according to the arrows II-II indicated in Fig 1.

Referring to the drawing, numeral l indicates a vertical cylinder which has a series of ports 2,

along the lower edge; of thecylinderforthe admission and discharge of the medium actingtherein. A piston 3 is arranged to move within the cylinder I, said piston being connected with the piston rod 4, which passes through an aperture 5 in the lower cylinder-head '6. Leakagedue to clearance' between the piston rod- 4 and the hole 5, is prevented by means ofstufiing box 1 Dur-- ing the upward and downward motion of the piston in the cylinder, oil is" splashed" by the: crank mechanism (notv represented in the draw r ing) against the part of. the piston rod l' extende ing outside the cylinder, as a result of which an oil layer 9 is formed on the surface of the stuifing box 1. Thus the surface of the piston rod 4 is lubricated and this surface carries oil to the inner wall of the cylinder. Due to the presence of the oil groove l 0 at the inner side of the cylinder head 6 this quantity is not unlimited; it appears that the transport of oil through the obturation practically stops as soon as the oil groove ID has been filled with oil and a state of equilibrium exists. In the absence of the groove oil would be supplied until the whole bottom were covered with a layer of oil, whose thickness would correspond to that of the oil layer 9 on the surface of the stufiing box 1. This oil, could flow away through the ports 2 which would not only encourage operational difficulties, but would be an extremely wasteful means for utilizing the lubricating fluid, and furthermore the equilibrium mentioned above would not be established. Consequently when proceeding according to the invention only a limited quantity of oil finds its way exclusively into the groove surrounding the rod, thus avoiding the aforesaid drawbacks,

As appears more particularly from Fig. 2 the oil groove H], in the represented form of construction, communicates through four radial ducts II with another annular groove .42 recessed in the cylinder head and extending in the proximity of the cylinder wall. This duct is filled with oil which flows by way of the ducts I I, from the annular groove surface. To the lower surface of the piston 3 is secured a spring member l3 which is arranged to bear against the cylinder wall. During the downward stroke of the piston the lower part of this member contacts with the oil contained in the oil groove l2, takes up a certain quantity of oil and gives it 01f to the inner wall during the upward stroke of the piston. In this way this inner wall is lubricated. The degree of lubrication is governed, with a given lubricating oil and temperature, by the length and/or the 3 shape of the member l3. The excess oil flows back again into the groove I2.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus comprising a cylinder having a head portion enclosing an end thereof, said head being provided with an aperture, a first groove opening upon said aperture and formed on the inner surface of said head, a second groove positioned adjacent the inner wall of said cylinder and formed on the inner surface of said head and a channel interconnecting said grooves, a piston slidably arranged within said cylinder and having a projecting member aifixed to the surface thereof, said member being arranged in contact with the inner wall of said cylinder and being positioned to enter into said second groove at one end position of said piston, and a pistonrod extending through said aperture and connected at one end to said piston.

2. Apparatus comprising a cylinder having a head portion enclosing an end thereof, said head being provided with an aperture, a first annular groove opening upon said aperture and formed on the inner surface of said head, a second annular groove located adjacent the inner wall of said cylinder and formed on the inner surface of said head and a channel interconnecting said grooves, a piston slidably arranged within said cylinder and having a projecting member affixed to a surface thereof, said member being arranged in contact with the inner wall of said cylinder and being positionedto enter into said second groove at one end position of said piston, and a piston rod extending through said aperture and connected at one end to said piston.

3. Apparatus comprising a cylinder having a head portion enclosing an end thereof, said head being provided with a centrally located aperture, a pair of concentrically arranged annular grooves formed on the iner surface of said head, the first of said grooves opening upon said aperture and the second of said grooves being arranged adjacent the inner wall of said cylinder and a plurality of radially extending channels interconnecting said grooves, a piston slidably arranged within said cylinder and having a projecting member afiixed to the lower surface of said piston, said member extending about the periphery and being in contact with the inner wall of said cylinder and being arranged to enter into said second groove at one end position of said piston, and a piston rod extending through said aperture and connected at one end to said piston.

WILLEM JAN VAN HEECKEREN.

HUGO HUBERTUS METTIVIER, MEYER.

HERRE RINIA.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wheeler Jan. 24, 1893 Number 

